October 17, 2025, Portsmouth, England- The earnest young man, a maintenance worker for the City of Dieppe, told me that the route to the ferry terminal was “not long” and was “visible straightaway from around the corner to the left.” I followed his directions, met a couple who were out walking on a delightful Friday afternoon and got more complete directions. Twenty-five minutes later, I walked into the Ferry Terminal.
Taking on the road involves just this sort of time allowance, and patience with people whose own understanding of routes and systems is not as complete as they fancy it to be. It also involves workarounds for spotty WiFi and being a quicker study for technological innovations than has ever been the case. That alone, to me, is a cure for dementia. (Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I just know how it feels to be adapting to a savvier world.)
The day started with a fine breakfast at JOST Hostel. Before checking out, I did a walkabout to Le Havre’s waterfront and back. Here are some scenes:
Le Havre Palais de JusticeLe Havre City HallMonument to Resistance Fighters of World War IISeine River, approaching the English Channel (La Manche)Monument aux Morts, Le HavreAlta Tower, with fluid geometry; created by Auguste PerretTwin Rainbow Arches, Le Havre Port. This was in celebration of Le Havre’s 500th anniversary and was also designed by Auguste Perret. It is made of 36 shipping containers, welded together.Sea gate, with approaching ferry ship.“The Signal”, by Henri-Georges Adam, at Malraux Museum of Modern ArtAuguste Perret’s Show ApartmentNotre Dame de Le Havre (Cathedral)Interior of Notre Dame de Le HavrePipe Organ, Notre Dame de Le HavreStained glass, at Le Havre Central Train Station
With my walkabout complete, I headed on the train bound for Rouen, then transferred to another train to Dieppe.
October 16,2025, Le Havre– I left Metz, after a sumptuous breakfast in Hotel Escurial’s fine restaurant. The train ride to Paris Est was uneventful, though the French countryside is always a tonic for the soul. Once in Paris, I asked an African immigrant, a security guard, where to find the bus to Gare St. Lazare, from which trains to Normandy and Brittany are dispatched. He personally favoured the Metro, but with baggage to handle, I was in no mood for the grifters and pickpockets who hang out in all too many Metro stations. He then directed me to the area south of the train station, where buses arrive and depart.
After a few minutes of asking around, I spotted the bus that goes to St. Lazare. Another young immigrant was getting set to start his driving shift, and invited me on, sans ticket. He maneuvered swiftly through Paris traffic, and we were near St. Lazare, with plenty of time to spare before my train to Rouen and Le Havre was set to depart. His “price”? I had to get off two stops later and walk back. “No one can have everything”, he said, knowingly. It was no big deal.
In 2014, I was on another train to Rouen, and we passed through a suburb called Mantes-La Jolie. My seat mate pointed out that there was little “jolie” about the town. This time, though, Mantes-La Jolie presented a clean, upbeat appearance-even lacking the graffiti that seems to be universal elsewhere across Europe.
Rouen, too, seemed a tad happier a place than what I saw eleven years ago. For that matter, at least in the above-ground gathering places and along surface streets, I felt perfectly safe in Paris as well. The hype about “crime-ridden France” seems to be just that-a false flag. The train strikes of two weeks ago are a blip.
It was in an upbeat mood, bolstered by the kind, if snarky, immigrants who I encountered everywhere, that I found myself in the shiny port and university city of Le Havre. I had half expected a gritty seaport. There was none of that, and I walked a short distance to JOST (Joy of Sharing Together) Hostel. It is the closest lodging to any train station thus far, except for Helsingor. It also has a Food Court, with six restaurants under the auspices of one bar. I chose a northern Italian option.
The University quarter of Le Havre is a place of great modern art and architecture. Here are a few scenes.
JOST Hostel. I was “only” on the fourth floor.Pole- Simone Veil. This social and sport event center is named for the late magistrate Simone Veil, who was a survivor of the Holocaust of 1941-45. She became the first President of the directly-elected European Parliament, in 1979. In her years of recovery from the horrors of war, Simone Veil was a champion of women’s rights in France and across Europe. She died in 2017, at the age of 89.Enclosed arbor, Allee Aimee Cesar. The great social activist from Martinique offered a thought which is apt for people like me, who visit different places, almost with abandon. “Beware, my body and my soul, beware above all of crossing your arms and assuming the sterile attitude of the spectator, for life is not a spectacle, a sea of griefs is not a proscenium, and a man who wails is not a dancing bear.” It is indeed the duty of the traveler to show empathy with those visited. Rue Le SueurSidewalk cafe, Place Le SueurTorso in Action, Place Le Sueur
Le Havre has indeed cast off its former image as a gritty port, and is fully embracing the vibrant commercial culture that has continued across the English Channel, despite BREXIT and largely because of, rather than despite, the Chunnel. I will have time, tomorrow morning, to more fully look around this energetic port.
October 15, 2025, Metz- Stately Hotel Escurial is probably the easiest to find, of any hotel that hasn’t been right next to the Train Station (only the hotel in Helsingor, Denmark has fit that description). It is bordered by a health food grocer, with bright green lettering and the Hotel Cecil, which once catered to the British upper crust, is prominently to the west of Escurial. Besides, it has a regal Spanish ring to it.
I arrived here in mid-afternoon, the first stop of three, on a Strasbourg-Luxembourg route, which I last took in the opposite direction, in 2014. At that time, Metz was more a place for regrouping my energy, as Strasbourg was this time. Today was more about giving Metz the limelight.
I got my laundry done in Strasbourg, for the most part figuring out the instructions, which were in French, and managing to get the clothes washed and dried within the allotted time and walked back to Hotel Strasbourg, in plenty of time to return to the main train station. I even helped a college student and a disabled woman, just a little.
Once in Metz and settled in at Hotel Escurial, it was off to look at two different areas of the Old City. First, though, I had to get a new mouse for my computer. A shop was located about four blocks from Hotel Escurial, and the task was quickly done.
Hotel Escurial. MetzGare Centrale (Main Train Station), MetzGare Centrale (Main Train Station), MetzColour matters in Metz, the year round.North Wall of Old City, with Water Tower in backgroundOld Water Tower, MetzGeneral Charles De Gaulle, at his squareInterior of Metz Cathedral (Above and below)Stretching towards the sky, Metz Cathedral exterior (above and below)Images of saints, Metz CathedralSpires on southwest corner of Metz CathedralWestern side of Metz CathedralAbraham de Faubert, Marshal of France under Henry IV and Louis XIII. Marshal De Faubert established new methods of siegecraft, during the constant wars between England and France during the 17th Century. He is considered a key figure in the survival of the French State, in that uncertain period.Arizona in Alsace-LorraineEast Gate of Old City, MetzMichel Ney, Napoleon’s sub-commander, who was from Lorraine. He was executed for treason, after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.Three corkscrew spirals, Parc de Ney
My exploration of Metz was complete, for now. Dinner followed, being a simple toasted bagel with cream cheese and minced onion-at a small, cozy place named simply “The Coffee Shop”. It was a fitting end to a day devoted to a blend of simplicity and grandeur.
October 14, 2025, Strasbourg- I took no photos of Strasbourg this time. Hotel Strasbourg-Monatagne Verte is lovely and the area around it is serene, almost bucolic. The quiet paths that lead, safely, across the bustling highway into older neighbourhoods of this economic hub of northeastern France are worthy of several shots.
I simply was not in the photographic frame of mind, no pun intended. My camera has a day to charge and I am giving myself time to sit and reflect. Tomorrow morning, I will go across to Laverie Valiwash and take care of my wardrobe. This evening, I will rest, as my message to friends here received no reply. A nice French dinner was my solace. The staff at Hotel Strasbourg are superb.
The trains from Frankfurt were a standard car to Offenburg, then a commuter train the rest of the way. Most of the people on the second leg were university students heading to one of the small German border towns that serve as suburbs to Strasbourg: Places like Kehl, where a team of German and French border police checked tickets and passports. Once the kids were gone, there were only a few of us going the rest of the way to Strasbourg. The trams and buses at Centre Gare (railway station) go towards the Cathedral, to the European Union facilities and other areas that are in the direction opposite where I was headed. Montagne-Verte is a fairly new area of town, and as was said earlier, has a rustic air to it, even with the apartment buildings and tourist hotels that are carefully interspersed within its greenery.
One of these years, I will set aside three days or so, to give justice to a visit to this bustling town. Tonight, though, I am just regrouping, getting ready for the last week or so of a fascinating journey that has had many aspects of whirlwind to it.
October 13, 2025, Frankfurt-am-Main- I stayed in a nice hotel, though not a “green” one. I had a fine meal in a restaurant run by Palestinians, and there was no bratwurst on the menu. I took high-speed rail, instead of a bus, to a spot fairly close to the Baha’i House of Worship, at Langenhain, though I still got in my steps. Those were the biggest differences between this visit to Frankfurt, as well as the fact that it was not my home base this time. (That honour has been spread across several cities.)
I had no trouble catching the train from Heidelberg and there were no delays. The S-Bahn got me close to Garner Hotel, with the walk being .4 mile. Once there, I found that getting dinner involved a bit of exploration of a nearby business district, so my Sagitarrian instincts took me down the street-almost, but not quite, back to the S-Bahn drop-off.
Old watch tower at Bockenheimer Warte station, Frankfurt-am- MainMarkuskirche, near Palmengarten, Frankfurt-am-Main
My meal at Konig Doner Pizza was superb, Turkish-style served by Palestinians. It set a fine tone for the rest of my visit here. After a restful night, it was time to revisit the Baha’i House of Worship. The S-Bahn took me to the village of Lorsbach, where I found the directions from Google Maps taking me along a country highway, up a hill and into a nature preserve.
Naturpark Hochtanus, near Hofheim. (Above and below)Roadside Memorial to a man named Lars. This is at an area which features a treacherous bend in the road. I can only imagine the circumstances of his passing.
After I had come to the limits of the town of Langenhain, a young woman stopped and gave me a ride the rest of the way to the House of Worship. Here are some scenes of that simple, yet majestic site, which I last visited in 2014.
Visitors Center, Baha’i House of Worship, LangenhainBaha’i House of Worship, Langenhain (above and below)Small planter gardens, Baha’i House of Worship, LangenhainDome of Baha’i House of Worship, Langenhain, bearing the inscription, “God is the All-Glorious”, in Arabic.
After visiting with the volunteer caretakers, Lutz and Hannah, I walked back into Langenhain village. There, I found what was supposed to be the bus stop back to Hofheim. It was near a K-9 school, where the parents of kindergartners were picking up their children, at day’s end. One of the ninth graders walked back towards the main road, and kept looking over her shoulder, more out of curiosity than apprehension-as if trying to send me an unspoken message. Once a certain amount of time went by, I saw a bus on the main road, heading towards Hofheim, so it occurred to me that the girl was probably trying to convey that the stop was elsewhere. I went back to the main road, found the right bus stop and was in Hofheim, twenty minutes later. From there, it was easy to catch the S-Bahn back to Frankfurt, with a stop at Domplatz, near Frankfurt Cathedral and the Main River.
That area was one that I visited in 2014, as well, and the photos were lost, so spending about an hour there was in order. Here are a few photos of the Dom (Cathedral).
Dom (Cathedral) of Frankfurt (above and below)Exterior and spires of Frankfurt Dom (above and below)
After enjoying a fine German meal, at Main Kai, I walked a bit along the Main itself.
Main River, near Dom
It was a soothing visit to the House of Worship, and reminiscing about the area gave me some peace. Tomorrow, I will spend a day going to Strasbourg, though not having much time there, I will most likely be focused on regrouping my energy.
October 12, 2025, Frankfurt-am-Main- It was suggested by a fellow hosteler in Salzburg that I take dinner at Vetter’s, an authentic Bavarian establishment in Old Town Heidelberg. Apparently, a lot of Vetter’s fans were telling their friends the same thing. There was no room to be had there this evening. The reservation list stretched into next week.
I found another fabulous spot for dinner-Joe Molese Burgers and Sandwiches. More about Joe’s and its fabulous staff later. First off, though, some words about my stroll down the hill and around Old Town, in areas both full of my fellow travelers and others with only a few locals going about their affairs.
As I bid farewell to Schloss Heidelberg, it was the foliage that stood out.
Foliage at south end of Schlosse HeidelbergHeiliggeistkirche (Holy Spirit Church), Heidelberger Alstadt
I continued looking for a place called the Red Church, wandering through the alleys near Heidelberg University.
University DistrictRosenkirche, Heidelberg
I found the Red Church at the north end of Old Town.
Rosenkirche, HeidelbergHeidelberg University, with Peterskirche in backgroundPeterskirche, Old Town Heidelberg
As I rounded a corner, there was an apartment courtyard, where a man was playing table tennis with his young daughter. Nearby was this gem of a mural.
Modernist mural, Old Town Heidelberg
and this:
Cubist leopard, Old Town Heidelberg
The girl’s favourites were these:
Pokemon characters, Old Town HeidelbergPlay space, Old Town HeidelbergBored face, Old Town HeidelbergGuard tower, east end of Old HeidelbergRiver Neckar, from Old Town Heidelberg (above and below)Good luck Monkey, Old Bridge, Heidelberg
It’s said that to rub the gold orb will bring good fortune. many visitors were doing just that, before I took this photo.
Elector Karl-Theodor of Heidelberg
Karl-Theodor became Elector of the Palatinate in 1742 and united it with Bavaria in 1777, setting upon a program of economic modernization of this realm. He built the English garden in Munich and was an avid patron of the arts. In the long run, however, Karl-Theodor showed little interest in his realm, leaving it to Austrian and French invaders, in the 1790s. This statue shows that it was his earlier programs that matter most to posterity.
South Gate, Old Bridge, Heidelberg
Now, back to Joe Molese.
Joe Molese Burgers and Sandwiches, Old Town Heidelberg
This establishment provided the absolute best burger I have ever had-and that’s after a lot of hamburgers over 70 +years. It was not overly messy, such as I normally enjoy. It was simply flavourful and was not overshadowed by a mound of French fries. The lovely server and the effusive manager made everyone feels at home, despite the fact that the place was as packed as every other restaurant in Old Town, on Saturday night. When I went to pay, furthermore, it turned out that the young couple sitting to my right had already covered my tab! We had not spoken a word to one another, but there it was. I would go back to Joe Molese’s again, in a heartbeat.
Finally, this is the shop whose clerk helped me locate Lotte-The Backpackers Hostel. I bought a couple of items from her. It would be nice if more people patronized her little place.
My favourite souvenir shop, Old Town Heidelberg
It was not easy to say farewell to this enchanting place, but there was more joy waiting for me here in Frankfurt, and at the Baha’i House of Worship in Langenhain.
October 11, 2025, Heidelberg- Once I became a paying visitor, the wealth of heritage at Schloss Heidelberg became apparent. The castle is indeed one of the grander of its ilk, in central Europe at least. Although it is classified as a “ruin”, there are all the uses being made of Schloss Heidelberg as an event center, especially in summer. There are a couple of heritage rooms, available only on guided tours, which also hold fast to the docent locking the door behind, upon completion of the tour.
Here are some scenes of the interior of Schloss.
Chambers on the east end, Schloss HeidelbergMost likely used as a counting housePalace of Frederik V, the “Winter King”Symbolic guards of The Winter King’s palaceJupiter stands guard, above allLarge grinding stoneAn even larger beer barrelFrederik V, contemplating his guest list, perhaps.View from the top
My self-guided tour neared its end, and with it began the equally enjoyable visit to Old Heidelberg’s lower reaches.
October 11, 2025, Heidelberg- The older man was, for all the world, a penitente, walking short steps down the cobblestone hill, in flip flops of all things, determined to make the walk downward on his own. Nearby, a six-year-old boy was fussing at his mother, telling her to lift him up. The old man lifted his head, which had been focused on the steps he was taking. “Such a grand fortress up there. Maybe you aren’t ready to see it!”, he said softly to the unruly child. The boy gave one last shriek, then stopped squalling and got up on his own. He told his mother he was just tired and didn’t want to go uphill. They turned and went back down towards their lodging.
In 2014, I happened by this fascinating university city, on the way from Strasbourg to Frankfurt, as it was part of the train route. On that visit, I spent time at Heidelberg University and walked to the Neckar River. The castle, though, stuck in my mind and I was determined that it would be on the itinerary of a future visit to Europe. That visit came this evening, and will continue for a bit, tomorrow morning.
I had a small item of business to settle in Munich, this morning, and the requisite office didn’t open until 9 a.m., today being Saturday. This gave me time to look about the Karlsplatz District of the great Bavarian city. Here are some of the sights of that midtown sector.
Karlstadt Tower, MunichEighteenth Century meets Twenty-first, Karlsplatz, MunichReaching towards the sky, Karlsplatz, Munich Landgericht, (District Court Building), Karlsplatz, Munich
Finally, in Altbotanischegarten, there was an entirely different air about the city. Aside from a few people also seeking quietude, and a few animals, the Old Botanical Garden was giving a Saturday morning respite to the frenzy of Friday night.
South entrance to Altbotanischegarten, MunichHeart of Altbotanischegarten, Munich (above and below)Peterskirche Tower, from Atlbotanischegarten, Munich“Der Ring”, by Mauro Staccioli, Alt Botanischegarten, Munich
Munich, thus, was just a primer for my energy level. Once in Heidelberg, at the small but very comfortable and welcoming Lotte, The Backpackers Hostel, I set out for the nearby Schloss (Fortress) Heidelberg.
Here are some scenes from the exterior and gardens of the castle.
Tower of Schloss Heidelberg, from Lotte HostelView of Heidelberg, from the SchlossIvy-covered south wall, Schloss Heidelberg (above and below, with pink wig tree in the middle)A Baden-Wurttemburg AutumnSouth Tower and rampart, Schloss Heidelberg
The wonders of Heidelberg continue in the next post.
October 10, 2025, Munich- I went down the 327 steps this time, bidding farewell to the paradise called Monchsberg and its shining star, Stadtalm Naturfreund. I would gladly walk up the steps again and stay there for three or four days.
It was time to have at least a brief look at Munich and see how that city is adapting to the changes that surely would have shocked the reactionary forces who caused such mayhem there, nearly one hundred years ago.
First, though, here is a bit more of Salzburg’s centrum.
Ancient German god of natureInformation about Gherkins sculpture (seen below)Gherkins Sculpture, with Friedrich Schiller in the background. Schiller was one of Germany’s greatest Classical playwrights.
My breakfast companions had urged me to make mention of Sanktfranciskirche. It is the one church in Salzburg where anyone can find a safe haven, even if being pursued by police. It has not been put to the test recently, but there are many past examples of this.
Sankfranzikirche, Salzburg
Notice the open door below.
Salzburg Cathedral, my last stop before the Hauptbanhof and on to Munich.
The journey to the heart of Bavaria was uneventful. I had a bit of confusion, again because of WiFi loss, but finding The 4You Hostel was not hard, once I got bearings after stopping in a store for a couple of necessities. I even found a nice nearby hotel restaurant and enjoyed a good Bavarian dinner.
From what I have seen so far, Munich is every bit a multicultural and tolerant city-pretty much the opposite of what its leaders in the 1930s hoped to achieve. I will enjoy more of it tomorrow morning.
October 8, 2025, Salzburg- “No taxi driver will go there”, the young driver said, referring to Monsbach, the area around Stadtalm Naturfreund, “it’s too dangerous”. Hmm, having not heard anything about crime in Salzburg, I decided to talk to the older gentleman in the next taxi, who had been listening. “It is a dark area, and the road is narrow. THAT is the only danger.” He then asked me how far I had come today. After hearing that my day had started in Zagreb, “Ibrahim” decided to drive me to the flat portion of the route to the hostel. He eliminated 323 steps-for the night. He was paid handsomely for his effort.
The day indeed started in Zagreb. I checked out of Mickey Mouse Apartment at the designated hour, and left the key in the black mailbox, as requested. When I got to the Train Station, my inquiry about getting to Salzburg was met with: “Go through Ljubljana. Maribor and Graz are out of the way. Ljubljana is more direct, then go through Villach!” This I did. The train was late leaving the Slovenian capital and even later going from the Austrian border to Vollach- a distance of 5 kilometers. Enough of a lag had been created that even the cleaning man at Villach Hauptbanhof (Central Train Station) shook his head at “the bureaucrats, always making an unnecessary mess for people.” Slovenia’s capital is a rather lovely place (it’s Lee-oob-lee-ahna), and I had a small lunch there, near the train station. I would grab another supper item in Salzburg, but it was a while later-eight hours later.
Near Catez, SloveniaSava River, outside Catez, SloveniaDinaric Alps, through a dirty windshield, north of Bled, SloveniaDinaric Alps, near Jesenice, Slovenia
As luck would have it, the picture postcard views of Ljubljana were not to be found around the Train Station and I did not dare venture far afield, in the uncertain time frame presented us. So, the dirty windshield of the train was my only vantage point for Slovenia’s beauty.
Once we could view Worthersee, hopes went up for a quick arrival in Villach. There was an unexplained stop, though, just inside Austria-and it was not due to the Border Police. Something else led to about seven of us sitting in Villach Hauptbanhof for an extra ninety minutes. The silver lining, though, was that the young conductor showed me, at long last, how to access the heretofore elusive QR Code on the Rail Planner application. Now, I will not be the sore thumb senior, the only one who doesn’t get it.
At the end of the day, I was at Stadtalm Naturfreund, had climbed only six steps-to my dorm room and savoured the chance to get another decent night’s sleep. Salzburg’s wonders and some business in Vienna awaited.
Welcome to Stories From Tina- A tapestry of life woven with words. Here, every post is a heartbeat, every story a step on the path of extraordinary journey. Join Tina as she unfolds chapters of her life, sharing raw, honest experiences and the pearls of triumph to the valleys of challenge, Tina's tales are more than just personal anecdotes; they're beacons of inspiration and understanding, igniting conversations and community. Whether you're seeking solace in shared struggles or celebrating the quirks of daily life, Tina's reflections offer a comforting shoulder, a knowing smile, and a guiding light. Dive into a world where every story matters, and find a friend in Tina - because her story is, in many ways, everyone's story. Subscribe to Stories From Tina, and transform the ordinary into extraordinary, one post at a time.
A Sagittarian Seeker 